Pneumatic stacker.



J. E. POSTER.

PNEUMATIC STACKER,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 23, 1909.

984,549. Patented Feb. 21, 1911-.

, To all whom it may concern:

JAMES E. FOSTER, OF-CLARKSBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA.

rNEUnA'iJIc STACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

Application filed September 23, 1909. Serial No. 519,208.

Beit known that I, Jnncs E. FOSTER,

a subject of the King ot tlrcat Britain, residing at Clarksburg, m the county of Grey l and Province of Ontario, Canada, have 1n vented certain new and useful Improvc-' ments in Pneumatic Stacker-s, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in tans for'pneum'atic stackers and the like, and the object of the invention is to devise a form of non-chokable fanv and casing therefor which will ct"- tectively receive straw and material from a selmrator and instantly discharge the same from the ends ot the tan wings without per mitting such material to become tangled about the wings, or to revolveabout. the casing and become chopped or shredded and its feeding value thus lessened, and at the same time provide a fan capable of maxi- .mum' discharging capacity at minimum potter and thus economically operable, which is of great importance and advantage in localities where coal is not obtainable and a scarcity of other fuel exists, all as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. Figure l is a perspective view 01%, a pneumatic stacker embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation; and Figs.

-. 3, 4 and 5 detail views of the fan structure.

.As my invention relates essentially to the fan structure the parts associated therewith will be referred to but incidentally in describing the invention. The framework and casing, 5, forn'ling the main straw chamber may be bf any suitable construction for the purpose, the bottom portion or hopper 6, thereof also being of any appropriate construction, that illustrated being a sloping hopper which leads transversely across the chamber to the fan.

My improved fan preferably consists of a hub and disk, 10, 11, adapted to lie adjacent the outer fan casing, and through which I insert a shaft, 12, said shaft having a double split, 13, 14, through a portion of its outer end. Through one of said split portions I insert a blade constituting two fan wings, 1 5, 16,- there being a cutaway portion intermediate thereof by which the edges, 18, 19,

are permitted to pass beyond the terminus air/the split portion in said shaft and thus lietightly aIong the main portion of the shaft, these members being thus substantially interlocked. ()n each side oi said wings l mscrt 1n the other split portions,

as 14, a pair of wings, 2t), 21. each of which against the terminus of said .splits ll.

\Yhcn thus assembled the quarter members, 24, of the shaft 12 each lie. within the corners of the blades and are riveted or bolted to said wings, and a rigidly assembled and durable t'ali structure is thus secured. shown most plainly in Figs. 3 and'l, these wings are tapered toward their outer ends, so that the rotating-fan wheel is of conical form. being much wider through its central portion than at its wing ends, and when assembled in the manner described the quarter members of the shaft do not extend to the apex of this fan wheel, the wings crossing each other at right angles and leaving the corners atthe apex point free from material. Said wings also. as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. are bent slightly in the direction opposite to the rotation of the fan so that the material may readily escape therefrom into discharge duct 27. For greater stability I prefer to connect the base portions of said wings to disk 11 by suitable reinforcing brace bars, 25, which are secured to said disk, and then proportionately bent to lie along the rear and under side of said wings and there connected. as indicated in Fig. 3. I thus obtain a comparatively light but exceedingly durable and well balanced fan, driven in any suitable manner, and which is capable oi creating both a highly etiicicnt intake suction air current in the hopper and a powerful and steady material-discharging blast through the stacker chute. Vliile have shown t'our fan wings it will, of course. be readily understood that by slight modification any desired number may be employed instead of a circular n'iaterial inletor eye in the tan casing as is common, I provide a segmental opening, 26, between the axis if the fan-wheel and the periphery of the cas ing at its rear and lower side immediately adjacentthe discharge duct, 27, the, opposite demontrated lions referred to.

To rim 28 I secure an adjustable segmental Ielaim as tny invention;

covering, 30, which riin is providedavith a slot, 31,- through which. a bolt, 32, eited, and by which arrangement 1 may sliift'said covering as desired to regulate the action of the air, the letter or base po'rt ion,

33, of said covering lying apprtixiniately across the apex of the fan-wheel or slightly thereabove. I

, In the operation of my improved taelter fan the material-from the efiiarating mechanisms discharges into the Etaelcer hopper and iathence drawn into the rotating fan, but by the peculiar tapering ainl Cl fflfifilllg of the wings, as indieated in Fig. I), a vac} uum exists about the apex of the fan wheel,

and-material striking that vicinity (or eovering 30') is instantly drawn elon'nn tinlly 1 along the tapered wings to the ends thtt-eot and di ehargetl through the stacker eltute, and said wing being thus "t'reetl at 'this point lltllllttlltlitl) gatlie" and coin are. the ai as they rotate hehind the elt'isetl it ol' the casing. As separntom andstaeliers Z a re nnule ofvury t dimensions the ionof the an" current crtnttetl therehy htf tlot uniform 111 all conetruettons, and tlierel'ore the covering 30 which I employ. may be ad- 7 justetl to regulate the posit-ion of the inlet opening to the fan to properly receive the nmtei-ial according to the 'a'rymg condiln actual operation inthe field I hate that a pnenniatic sta'ekcrt equipped with a fan of my, arrangenientgis highly etlieieut" in eou'iev'ingr material such an: wheat and oat straw and pea and bean t'otlder in inthro'lwu condition. and with niatei-ial eeonoiuv of power, which is of much henetlt and ad\"a-n tage in small farming eonnnunitieswhere all material suitable for t'odiler z'nust he carefully rhandlefinnd :Eltll'tt'l, and where the supply of fuel for opcrating threshingmachincry is limited and expensive.

? jnstahlygntided on said rim,

l. A fan for pneumatic stacker", fcom'prle: I ing a vertically-arranged casing having in axial opening in one side, ,a concentric. rim P adjacentaaid opening, a fan-wheel in th easing, and a dcginental closnrelforrthe vi opening adjustably guided on said} rim.

2. A fan for pneumatic stac kers, compl'f ing a wertically-arrangcd casing liaving ali It axialo x ning in one side, a concentric rim 5 adjacent said opening, a fan-wheel in saidi. i 'easin'g, a segment-a] closure for the opening inennted on said rim, and a throa'bptece. one side of said casing adjacent $aid open ing. 3. Atan for pneumatic slackers, eomtii lfl; ing a vertical ly-arranged caiug thaving i axial o'peniln in one side, a concentric rim ailjaeent sait' opening, a fan-wheel in the easing the wings whereof at one edge are 68 tapered from its apex toward their ends,

and a segmental closure for the opening adj r. .\--fau for pneumatic staokers,jcon pris-j ing a tertiea-lly-arrangcd casing having an: 70 axial opening in one side, a eoncentrie rim adjacent said opening. a begmental closure for theopening mounted on said ri-ni, a coin; centric throat-piece at one side (if-said cas ing, and in fan-wheel in said casing having its wings tapering from its apex to their ends. 1 1 I t.

5. A fan for pneumatic staekers, (.timpris; ting a vertieally-arranged casing having an oiunting in one side, a concentric-rim adjtl' 80 eent said ()pei1ii1g. in fan in said casing, an adjustable aegmentalclosu're for Said openj i\.ig,-and*n1eans for adjusting s'aidhclosure (Maia-rim. t Intestiinoiy in presence 0 t JAMESIE, FQSTER. 

